# Iron Curtain

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˌaɪən ˈkɜː.tən/

## Definitions
1. The dividing line between Western Europe and the Soviet-controlled regions, especially during the Cold War (1947–1991).

## Etymology
A specialized use of iron curtain (“(figurative) impenetrable barrier”), probably partly a calque of German eiserner Vorhang which was used in speeches in the 1940s that were translated into English. The English term appeared in telegrams from the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874–1965) to the United States President Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) in 1945, before being popularized in a speech given by Churchill at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/iron-curtain